As technology improves and costs decrease, a greater number of industries are turning to composite materials to meet manufacturing needs. Composite materials allow for the creation of strong and lightweight components when compared to metal alloys. Composite materials can also be easily formed into complex shapes.
Inspection of a composite component can be time consuming because fractures can occur along any portion of the component which requires inspection of the entire component. Additionally, excess material can be used to withstand failure in certain regions of the composite component which can increase the weight of the component. Therefore, there is a need for a composite component that is lightweight and is resistant to fracturing.